


Seven Wonders of Nibelheim

by MegumitheGreat



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: M/M, Meeting the Parents, Nibelheim (Compilation of FFVII), One Shot, Pre-Nibelheim Incident (Compilation of FFVII), Self-Indulgent, Side Quest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:15:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26470981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MegumitheGreat/pseuds/MegumitheGreat
Summary: Cloud and Zack have just arrived to Nibelheim before their mission to investigate the Nibel Reactor.  Cloud is nervous about being home, so Zack takes him on a side quest only to meet a certain mother.
Relationships: Zack Fair/Cloud Strife
Kudos: 19





	Seven Wonders of Nibelheim

**Author's Note:**

> I started this back a couple months ago and got hit with anxiety-induced writer's block. The ending part isn't the best (I'm never good with endings...) but idk, I thought this was a cute idea?

Cloud had been on edge since arriving in Nibelheim, and Zack had to wonder why. Usually, the young man never wore his helmet when he was with him because it made it easier not only to see but to be seen by his idol and secret partner. Sephiroth had given him permission to go visit friends and family, but as soon as Zack had caught up to him, he was just tense standing there at the modest entrance.

“I can’t let anyone see me,” he told Zack. “Ugh, I’m so nervous…”

“Why? Because it’s been a while? Afraid of small talk?” Zack teased him.

Cloud, face obscured by his helmet, pouted at him before pulling him to the northern side of town near the Shinra Manor. Once they were out of view of any of the Nibel residents, he threw his arms around Zack’s torso. “I can’t let anyone see me. I didn’t get into SOLDIER. If they all know I’m just a lowly grunt, I’d never be able to show my face again,” he solemnly explained. “On top of that, monsters wander into town regularly, and…if she gets hurt and I can’t protect her…”

“Her? Gasp, a secret girlfriend?!” Zack teased him again.

“J-Just a friend! She’s just a friend…” he reassured.

“Hm, but you had a crush on her at one point.”

“And then I met you and I’ve moved on—can we not talk about this? I had made a promise to her that I would get in, but I didn’t, and I don’t want to be humiliated. Mom probably wouldn’t care, but…”

“Cloud,” Zack gently said into his hair. “Everything will be fine. Let’s do something to get your mind off of it. We’re not officially on-duty yet. There’s gotta be something to do around here.”

“We…I guess, we could visit Mom,” Cloud suggested with some restraint. “You’d love her cooking!”

“Wow, already bringing me to meet the parents! Ready to get married, are we?”

“Please, be serious. M-Mom thinks I’d bring home a girl…but…I don’t know what she would think about a guy. Wait, no! We’re not going to do that! That’s…That’s too embarrassing…!”

Zack let out a hearty laugh. He pinched his cheeks while nuzzling his face. “You’re so cute when you get flustered!” Quickly he pecked him on his forehead. “Okay, so what can we do to get you to calm down?”

Cloud let go of him, pacing around until he remembered there used to be strange occurrences in the town. They were called the Seven Wonders of Nibelheim, unexplained happenings that send chills down the spines of the residents (or so the village people liked to say). Only a select few brave enough to pursue them have come forward, but debunking the wonders had gotten difficult over time. Cloud wasn’t entirely thrilled to go after them. Zack, on the other hand, was sure that it would help him to calm down. The infantryman conceded to doing them, though he couldn’t be the one to tell him about the wonders; it would give him away. Everyone knew about them, and kids were the best bet to find someone that would send them on their way. Returning to the village center, there was a little boy that had each rumor memorized. Zack dragged Cloud over to him to begin the hunt.

The first wonder was the Mystery of the Blood-filled Tower. The water that came from the tower in the center of the village was red like blood, so naturally people began to think that they were drinking blood. The tower needed some maintenance, but the creepy color had deterred the village’s handymen from touching it. Was it really blood coming from the tower, or was something making the water look like it?

Zack created a foothold with his hands for Cloud to boost him up to climb the water tower. Hanging onto the side of the basin, Cloud found a red summon materia floating on the water’s surface. As soon as he removed it, the water turned back clear.

“The color from the materia must have seeped out into the water,” Zack conjectured. “But, congrats on getting a summon materia!”

Cloud held it out to him. “You know I can’t use materia—company rules,” he said with a smile. “Why don’t you hold onto it? You can use it more than I can.”  
Zack pouted. “Well, you can hold onto it for now—a good luck charm! If you get some flack for it, just say that I lent it to you.” He faced the boy with his hands on his hips. “Right, what’s the next rumor?”

They returned to the little boy, who told them of Wonder #2: The Mystery of the Girl in the Painting. On the second floor of the inn, there was a cute but creepy picture of a little girl sitting on a chair. Sometimes, the girl would leave the painting and walk around the village. Such a rumor made Cloud even more nervous. He didn’t like ghosts, and he was tempted to ask Zack to field this one on his own. Of course, Zack wouldn’t let him off that easy.

He dragged him to the inn, up to the second flood, and into their room for their stay to look at the portrait. They stared intently at it, noticing every little feature. They left the inn for a few minutes to see if the girl would come waltzing through the doors. When she didn’t, they went back inside only to find that she had disappeared.

“Nope,” Cloud immediately said. “I’m sitting this one out.”

“Aw, come on!” Zack whined. “Okay, let’s wait and see if she comes back.”

“Zack…” Cloud couldn’t help but let out a sigh, as exasperated already as he was.

The SOLDIER and the infantryman hung around for a bit then left the inn again to see if they had missed anything. When they came back to the room, the girl had reappeared. Cloud was still unnerved by the rumor. They left together then came back into the lobby of the inn to find the clerk walking stiffly from behind the counter and up the stairs. Zack and Cloud tailed after him, and just as the clerk sped into their room, they caught him pushing something into an alcove behind the painting.

“Really?” Zack said dejectedly.

The clerk was spooked by them, but after explaining that he hid his nest egg in their room and changed the painting according to if there was money in the hole or not, Zack and Cloud were disappointed that it wasn’t actually a ghost. Well, Cloud was more relieved despite hoping that the paranormal activity would have some sort of weight in his sleepy hometown.

The third wonder was that there was a special type of Bomb that lived on Mt. Nibel that carried a special item if they managed to defeat all of them at once. This wonder would require them to travel to the area around the reactor, something that Cloud wasn’t sure if he wanted to go. As usual, Zack dragged him along, and once they were out of sight from the residents, he pecked him under his helmet.

“Yeah, it’s a little more dangerous this time, but it’s fun, isn’t it? And besides, doesn’t look like anyone has noticed you yet,” Zack grinned. Cloud tried not to smile at him, but seeing his eyes shine like the sun made it hard to deny. “Okay, let’s get going after the Bombs!”

Zack dragged him towards Mt. Nibel despite the obvious hints of reluctance to go. Cloud knew that he didn’t want to seem like a weakling, but he remembered the monsters around Nibelheim were terrifying, devouring humans without a second thought and leaving those wounded to simply bleed out. The monsters were aware that no one would come looking for fools that traveled into the mountains. It was just the two of them, too. Sure, Zack was strong and all, but what if they were outnumbered? Cloud wasn’t a bad shot, but what if he was just a burden?

They arrived at the overlook in the mountains where the Wonder Bombs were said to live. When they appeared, Zack identified them by the blackened faces and golden bodies. Cloud, who had lived fourteen years of his life in Nibelheim before moving to Midgar, had never seen one up close. Thankfully, for him, they weren’t all that strong. In fact, it was more of a challenge killing them at once—and that included preventing them from exploding. But they managed to do it, much to Cloud’s surprise. Their prize was a palm-sized shard of pure gold.

“Wow!” Zack gawked. “Cloud, did you know you could get pure gold here?”

“N-No…but we should take this back to our informant,” Cloud suggested. Right there, Zack could see that their little excursion was doing its job to make him feel better.

They returned to the boy that was giving them their destinations. His eyes lit up when they gifted him the gold shard. Now, the next wonder took them to Shinra Manor—the Case of the Laughing Safe. Cloud immediately gripped Zack’s arm at the thought of having to deal with more ghosts. It couldn’t be helped, though, so the SOLDIER led him to the manor with all the excitement of a parade. The mousy infantryman, who had his helmet on until they were standing in front of the old mansion, just clung to him. It was surely unbecoming of a Shin-Ra employee to display such fear, but he was also a lowly security guard. Did it really matter?

The two ventured into the manor, which wasn’t swarming with monsters or ghosts thankfully. The atmosphere in the desolate and gloomy place did give the impression, and Cloud couldn’t help but latch on even tighter. In sharp contrast, Zack showed no fear. He welcomed the danger.

“Okay, that safe is on the second floor,” he said with no problems of going even deeper into the building. “Let’s go, Cloud!”

They climbed the stairs to the second floor and ducked into the only room that was unlocked. In there, they found the safe giggling, but without the combination, they couldn’t tell what was making the noise. The two split up. There was a small note by the safe that detailed clues of the combination. Why the combination was written in code was beyond them, but for Zack, it was a fun little exercise. They scoured the mansion together in search of the clues until they had come back with the four numbers. And when they put the code in and heard the tumblers move and shuffle, they prepared for whatever it was laughing in the safe.

“Okay, I’m going to open it,” Zack said with bated breath.

He grabbed the handle.

“Wait!” Cloud stopped him.

“W-What?!”

“I…I decided! I want you to come over and meet Mom! I…I want you to try her cooking, and maybe…” Then he stopped himself with the realization that this declaration wouldn’t prevent Zack from opening the safe. “Ah…I…”

“It’s a date!”

“D-Date?”

At that moment, the safe burst open and a cactuar jumped out as Zack ad Cloud fell backwards on their rears. The little monster had surprised Cloud enough to make him grab onto Zack. It didn’t do anything except making a warbling sound like it was laughing as it wobbled away. The infantryman couldn’t help but laugh as well. How could he have been spooked by something so small?

“So?” Zack interrupted him.

“So what?”

“When do I meet your mom?”

Cloud’s face flushed at the thought of actually bringing Zack home to meet his mother and actually eating her cooking, only remembering that he had promised him seconds ago. He wished he could have him spend the night, but the problem with his house was that the beds were in full view of everywhere else inside. He wanted to have alone time with him, and as much as he loved his mom…

“Cloud?” Zack spoke just inches from his face.

“Z-Zack…! When did you get so close?!”

The SOLDIER grinned at him, leaning in closer to him until Cloud was lying on his back underneath him. He loomed over him, a mischievous smile stretching on his lips until he finally decided to go for it and kiss him. If they really wanted to get away to somewhere more private, they could come back to the manor. It was spooky, but it was quiet. Zack, too, would be with him. Best of all, the manor didn’t have monsters or ghosts in it besides a cactuar wandering about now.

“We should go,” Cloud said after the kiss.

“Lead the way!” Zack giggled into his neck.

* * *

Cloud entered his house first so he could take off his mask as quickly as possible. It was nighttime, a calming darkness over the village that wouldn’t have been enough to hide his face with the lamps that hung outside the doors. Zack entered after him, a slight hop in his step.

“C-Cloud? You’re home!” Cloud’s mother Claudia gasped. “Oh, dear, you should have told me that you were here! I would have had something prepared for you already!” Her light blue eyes flicked over to Zack. “O-Oh, hello…” she dumbfoundedly greeted as she pushed her blonde hair back behind her ear. She had the same spikes as his friend.

“Hi, I’m Zack! SOLDIER 1st Class and unofficial bodyguard to your son!” he greeted her with a hand extended to her.

Claudia was confused. Who was this man and why was he an unofficial bodyguard? Cloud, who she remembered was someone that tried to act cool and tough and could very well get a girl without much effort, was suddenly timid and shy. She glanced at him, then Zack, then at him again.

“Cloud…what’s wrong…?” she asked.

“I didn’t get into SOLDIER, but…but I met someone in it,” he replied with hesitation and apprehension. “I’m sorry, Mom.”

“Why are you apologizing?” she asked him.

“Because I didn’t get into SOLDIER. I couldn’t…keep my promise…”

Zack’s cheerful countenance melted into one that understood how he felt. He had often told him how much he wanted to get into SOLDIER, but he hadn’t known that it was a promise he had made to his mom.

“That’s nothing to be ashamed of, though,” Claudia told her son. She cupped his face. “You don’t have a time limit, so just keep working hard.”

Zack searched for an opportunity to come in. Cloud had fallen silent out of the embarrassment of failing at his one goal; that was his chance. He threw his arm around him, pulled him close for a chummy hug, and smiled at Claudia. With shining eyes, he told Claudia, “Nothing to worry about, ma’am. I’ll look out for him.”

Claudia blushed at him. She appreciated that Cloud had an upstanding and supportive friend. She called them toward the small dining table while she prepared a quick meal. Tomorrow, she would make him a bigger and more extravagant dish. But for now, it was porridge and warm milk. Setting the table for Cloud and his friend, she began to wonder about this Zack.

“So, when did you join SOLDIER?” she asked.

“Maybe two years ago? Probably longer, but I don’t actually remember with all the work I have,” Zack told her. “I only just made it to 1st Class—not too long before I met Cloud.”

Claudia noticed that Cloud was strangely not talkative again. She didn’t expect him to be, but she sensed there was something going on. “And how did you two meet?” she pressed.

“We were actually on a mission together then our helicopter got blasted down. You could say we had to take an emergency landing, but while we were in free-fall, I grabbed him up and held him close. After all, a fall from that height would kill anyone!” Zack almost boasted.

Claudia looked at him dubiously. “If that were true, wouldn’t you have died as well?”

“Maybe I’m a ghost—or even his guardian angel!”

Cloud covered his face with his hands. He wanted him to meet his mom, but not like this. As if his soul was in the process of leaving his body, he listlessly ate the food his mom had whipped up.

“Well, Zack, if you’re his guardian angel, does that mean you’ll marry him?” Claudia suddenly asked. Cloud choked. Before he could recover, Zack locked eyes with her. “Because if that’s the case…” Cloud’s mind raced as he tried to cough up the food. What was his mom going to say? “I grant you my blessing!” Claudia finally said.

“H-Huh?” both men said.

Claudia’s eyes shined as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Even with Cloud sitting next to her, she clapped her hands together while talking about how she was worried about who would take his hand in marriage. She would have liked him to meet a nice older girl to keep him down to earth, but she couldn’t have imagined that a man would have loved him just as much. Of course, Nibelheim felt like it was far removed from society, and the idea of two guys together was still an outlandish concept, but all Claudia cared about was that Cloud was happy and kept out of trouble.

“M-Mom…” Cloud stammered.

“Am I wrong…?” Claudia asked nervously.

Zack bolted up from the chair out of sheer excitement. “Nope, you’re absolutely correct!” he laughed. He stepped over to the blond man for a tight hug. “Cloud, your mom has accepted me! I’ve been adopted into your family!”

“Just one thing,” Claudia added. Zack tilted his head, tapping Cloud’s temple. With a smile, she told him:

“If you break his heart, I’ll take care of you myself.”

Zack hugged Cloud tighter. “Y-Yes, ma’am…”

On the way back to the inn, the two were silent. Cloud had put his mask back on so no one else would notice who he was. It was an eventful day before the start of the mission in the morning. In the dark, Cloud held onto Zack’s hand. He still was in shock that his mother gave them her blessing. When they were up in their room, they each took a bed. Sephiroth was still checking on equipment, but he would be there soon.

“Well, now we know that if we want to get hitched, we have your mom’s blessing! Oh, guess I should arrange some time off so you can meet my parents. They’d probably think you’re adorable!” Zack teased him.

“Adorable?” Cloud repeated dejectedly. “I…I don’t think I’d want people to think I’m cute.” He lay down on his bed, exhaustion from the day settling into his bones. “As just a guard, it’s almost an insult…” He yawned through the word. “As a SOLDIER…you’d want to be cool, right?”

“Hey, are you already going to sleep?” Zack whined. “Stay up with me!”

The infantryman groaned quietly. “Don’t you usually say it’s better to go to bed early?” Cloud asked him, his face turned into the pillow to shield his eyes from the lamp. “Go to bed, Zack.”

The SOLDIER pouted at him. He hopped off his bed for a second, planted a kiss on the side of his head, then returned to lay down. Within minutes, Cloud was already snoring away. Tomorrow, they would head to the reactor. He was happy to have done something fun that day because now, for some inexplicable reason, he felt a queasiness in the pit of his stomach.

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Strife—I won’t let anything bad happen to him. Not on my honor as SOLDIER.”

**Author's Note:**

> Claudia wanted an older girl that was mature to keep him on the straight narrow, but somehow I feel like she also wouldn't mind Cloud bringing home Zack. Like, as long as it's someone that will keep Cloud out of trouble.


End file.
